The Lone Outcast
by Thestarsareshiningagain
Summary: <html><head></head>Pain, Grief. This is all she feels now she is alone, and so she hardens. That is what she will bring to the clans who cast her out, now the spirit walker is gone, over the mountains. But who else longs for a different life? Who is entranced by the tales of... The Lone Outcast</html>
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is my first story on this account, and for this series, so please review and tell me how I did! How can I improve! :) thx. Cat.**

_She sat, hunched up, rain pelting down and running down her face, mixing with the mud she crouched in._

_Her face, buried in her knees, hid her clan tattoos. Brownish-black hair was streaked with green. Once, it was smooth and straight, but now it was frizzed up and messy. The sky was grey and stormy, sensing her distress. Something had happened._

_something huge._

_But unusually for huge events, no one else knew. Because she was alone. Alone completely. To other people, that day was one that was just like another. But not for her. No. _

_Alone, she lifted her face to the sky, rain blinding her, and screamed in agony. Grieving._

_Later, she would harden. The softness in her eyes would go. The kindness in her face would sharpen until her grief, sorrow and love was buried deep where no one would get at it. _

_To escape fighting it again._

_To escape the pain._


	2. Chapter 2

**right so, I actually decided to do these chapters together, and post a new one every other day. I will read any reviews you have, so please feel free too, i'd love to hear them! Thx. :) Cat.**

_When darkness covered the land the first time, she was still a baby. When the spirit walker saved the clans, she was eleven summers old. When the spirit walker left with his mate, he left over the mountains. And still she waited. She was now fourteen summers old. And when he had been gone for a winter and a summer, and the second winters grip started to tighten on the clans, she struck. He was not there now._

_She was the best hunter, the best tracker, the best hider, the best fighter. She had been for some time. She had the most practice. She had been fighting forever. And since the fight had engulfed her that miserable day when she was only seven summers old, she had been the most practised in everything else. Everything else but love and happiness. They didn't want her. And neither did anyone else._


	3. Chapter 3

**hey. I thought I might do a song but it wasn't very good so I did a story instead. In this chapter. You'll get it when you read it. Thx. :) Cat.**

**(please listen to misty mountains cold from the hobbit to give effect)**

_Smoke swirled above the fire, shifting into different shapes of battling heroes. One changed form, swirling into a wolf, a hawk, a bear, charging down with his wolf at his side and his mate shooting there enemies. He felt the deaths of other_ _companions_._ He felt sorrow and howled. He felt pain. He felt love for his mate just like the fire, bright and passionate, or just the heat, the warmth. Like the sparking moments of the love, or the flames licking the heels of the battling heroes-_

He sighed and tore his gaze away as someone announced-

"Let the clan meet begin!"

he had no interest in hearing the problems of the other clans. He stalked over to the other side of the fire, where a hawk Mage was telling a story. A group of people started humming in low voices. The sparks flew upwards, touching the stars dotted in the black sky. the Mage saw him and beckoned him over. He sat down and watched the fire.**  
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_When the world was at peace and the stars_

_Shone brightly as they do now_

_And the evening sky was softened by vibrant colours_

_A group of mages came together and called themselves the healers_

_They sought for good. But after some time they grew power hungry_

_And became evil. They called themselves the soul eaters._

_When they did this, one of them alone saw that this was the evil way._

_He was sad, for he loved them all, especially one, but knew it had to end._

_And so, alone he set fire to the forest. It raged on and on, burning badly_

_The soul eaters. The south east of the deep forest never recovered, and stays there,_

_Charred and blackened still. But this man had a son._

_No one knew, and his mother had died giving birth._

_So this man retreated to the forest and wandered alone with his son._

_He gave his son to the wolves because he could not feed him._

_In this way, his son could speak wolf. Then one of the soul eaters_

_Managed to get revenge. A demon bear. It killed everything in its path,_

_Destroying souls with one swipe of its huge paw, crushing_

_Trees and killing deer for no reason. Including the man. His son escaped,_

_And found his guide, a wolf. The ravens found him. He was the chosen one-_

_The listener._

_The listener speaks with silence and fights with air._

_He will offer to give his blood to the mountain of the world spirit_

_To kill the demon bear._

_He ran away, and the brave huntress found him._

_They set off together and faced dangers like none has known before._

_They found all three pieces of the nanuak._

_They faced ice rivers. They fought soul eaters._

She built up the tension dramatically and I could feel myself being swept away with her. I could SEE the story happening in the fire, the smoky figures battling.

_The listener lost his wolf to the mountain._

I could see it!

_A lonely boy, on his knees howling with sorrow at the mountain, and a wolf and his pack howling with them. Gone._


	4. Chapter 4

**I am gonna try to write one of these every day other than weekends, so you could save it until then, or read it every other day, or when I upload it, whenever really! Enjoy amigos (if anybody will be reading this, I have no idea? Thx. :) Cat.**

**(please listen to misty mountains cold from the hobbit to give effect)**

_There was sickness among the forest. Like no other. Men would go mad._

_clans would be torn apart by fear. The listener journeyed to the deep forest to help._

_he was turned away. He ventured to the east, to the sea clans. He tainted the sea with _

_the forest. He broke the rules. He didn't know. He was taken by seal clan. a tokoroth _

_followed. As did his brave huntress and his wolf. His wolf came back. His wolf found him._

_the listener spent time with the seals. He became mistaken. the brave huntress took _

_away the binding from his eyes. He fought the soul eater, the new seal clan Mage._

_he won. He knew not to underestimate the sea. he never would again._

_then wolf is is gone taken. He ventures with the huntress into the unknown, following_

_the tracks the takers leave behind. It is the soul eaters. They find themselves in the cold _

_north, the ice plains. Battling the unknown they finally find themselves fighting the_

_soul eaters, and the listener discovers- he is a spirit walker..._

I gasp. I did not know that. I see images in the fire. I see souls, wandering in a cave. I see the listener again, and his wolf. They are lost.

_He finds himself marked by the soul eaters, and hides it from his friend the huntress, _

_and the ravens. But they discover it, and have no choice but to cast him out. He _

_wonderes alone, finding himself hunted as the outcast. He hides in the river islands near_

_ the otter clan. Seshru is controlling him. He lives alone but discovers that the clans are _

_all in danger... The ice river will break. He risks his own life, even after he discovered _

_that his huntress was born of..._

I don't know this, I never knew this. But it can't be that bad can it? Can it? I am watching mesmerised by the smoky figures.

_SESHRU!_

no, it cannot be!...


	5. Chapter 5

**hey again! Nothing really to say... Hope your days going well... Mine is too!**

**enjoy! :) Cat. (Remember that to give effect, listen to misty mountains cold from the hobbit)**

_but he forgave and forgot and for a while all was well. But then after an argument,_

_the listener's friend was killed. Thiazzi the oak Mage Was the killer. And the listener _

_Was so grief stricken that he touched him. Called his name. Swore revenge. _

_He strove after Thiazzi, almost losing his huntress and Fin-Kedinn, the raven leader, they_

_both knew and loved. He and his huntress were injured and Fin-Kedinn near mortally _

_injured but he did not give up. They fought, as he had many a time before and his _

_huntress outwitted Thiazzi's plan. an ember aflame was his undoing, and the listener won_

_ against the soul eaters again._

I was utterly captivated. Compelled. I lent forward and held my gaze on the story in the fire.

_the final soul eater. Eostra, was waiting. She sent a shadow sickness among the clans,_

_the listener's wolf was greif ridden because of the death of his family. Together, perhaps_

_for the last time, they went towards Eostra's mountain, hidden even from the mountain _

_clans. But the listener's father appears before him, and the spirit walker believes there is _

_a chance. A fight, and Eostra uses forbidden magic, weaving dark spells, and casting dark_

_ shadows across the clans. And the listener fights like he had never fought before, but he _

_knows that this is the end. And Eostra is vanquished, her shadows gone forever,_

_Narrander gone with her, and the spirit walker lay forever still, at the bottom of the _

_chasm, knowing that peace could at last reign._

she stopped. I was watching the fight toll out inside the mountain, I watched the spirit walker fall to his death. She couldn't stop! It couldn't end like this!

_but then,_

she carried on. I hardly dared to breath as I watched the scene unfold.

_his wolf and his huntress felt differently. His spirits went free, gone, but wolf went after _

_them. And his huntress found him. And he found himself._

**thank you so much for reading. Now we get on to the real big storyline so thx for putting up with my story's jibber jabber.**


	6. Chapter 6- It begins

**okay,I've started to realise no one is reading my story, which I can tell you is a bit of a downer, but I'm gonna keep updating anyway, in case someone does happen to stumble across my work of brilliance. ;) Cat.**

"Semma!" The shout came from the other side of the campfire. The clan-meet had ended long ago. I had stayed, listening to the hawk mage's story. It was gripping and mystical and the smoke figures in the fire were incredible. Like the paintings my father painted on cave walls now. Surreal, yet it had all happened so short a time ago.

"Tehiti!" More people being called. I wish I had met them. The spirit walker and his huntress. Finally I realised my clan were calling me. Sea eagle. The feathers on my jerkin we're soft as I felt them, glad of the reassurance. I was about to hurry off but I realised that I needed to know something. Needed.

I turned back towards the hawk Mage and she raised her eyebrow.

"The spirit walker and his huntress. What were their names?"

she didn't seem surprised, almost happy once I asked.

"Torak. Torak and Renn."

\|/

we walked along to our camp. The deer skin-woven coverings on our shelters were being covered and supported with moss and more woven mats. This was the time of year when storms came to the sea. I never knew how the seals managed on their tiny island far out to see. We couldn't even see it.

The waves were dark and grey, with splashes of deep sea green and blue. Occasionally I saw a fish. I stood there in the waves, feeling the sand beneath my toes.

I thought about the stories I had just heard as the setting sun cast purple orange light over the sea, and the stars started to smile.


	7. Chapter 7- Victorious

**okay, I know I haven't posted in awhile, but I'm really busy with homework. As I'm sure you guys all are (are you?) so yeah I will try to update more often. And, yeah, this is short but another one follows. :) Cat.**

3rd Pov.

all was calm in the swan clan. The morning had arrived after the clan meet, and the camp was the same as any other morning. Fires crackled and the traditional woven bark/hide shelters stood same as any other. People busled around, and a way away, the Mage sat cross legged on a hunk of granite, high up. It was engraved with symbols and swirls.

a dark figure was crouched on the outskirts of the camp. Hidden in the shadows, no one noticed her. No one was expecting trouble anyway. The soul eaters were gone.

the figure slipped silently, almost invisible behind the shelters nestled among the trees, to the back of the shelters. Using a bone knife, she slit a hole in the back. Slipping inside, she glanced around. The only thing worth taking to her was a quiver full of arrows and a leather thong with some shark teeth on it. Then, silently as always, she went around breaking weapons, upturning filled waterskins, slitting clothes, and emptying medicine pouches onto the floor, before tying the shelter entrance shut. Now she had to be even quicker before someone found out.

going out the back, she ran now, darting in and out of shelters, grabbing things and slitting clothes, destroying the inside of the shelters, before nipping inside the main one. Luckily, no one was there. She grabbed a food pack and a long knife made of blue slate, and ran out. Still very cautious, she darted away through the trees.

Not stopping, not even when the shouts and outragious cries reached her, nor when the baying of a horn sounded.

she was already far enough away to rest. And she ran on. Only past midday did she stop, and she could no longer hear any of the swan's cries.

Victorious.


	8. Chapter 8- They've done it again

**please r&r and if you wanna say anything then feel free! :) Cat.**

He turned away from the chaos around him. Everyone was scared and confused. It was now mid-winter. Torak and Renn had been gone for over a winter. And now this happened. Everyone knew. Everyone was horrified.

Everyone but him.

Heck, whoever did this had spunk, was clever, and amazing at either running or hiding. Or, he decided, both.

There had been three attacks on camps in less than half a moon. All the same. Slashed shelters, stolen items and broken and demolished everything else.

The attacks were all so far apart though. The swan clan was the first, north of the deep forest, the _viper_ clan next, leagues South, the most southward clan. And then finally the _wolf _clan of all people, who had been eastern. Normally, it would take many many daywalks to get between each one, but whoever was the culprit had done it a maximum of three days. _three days!_ And no one had any idea who it was.

If they were caught, they would become outcasts at best. But some say, that it would be better to be dead than be an outcast. Well.

_if they knew._

Even as the worried people at the clan meet ran around, nobody would have thought that their topic of conversation was right now, sneaking around the back of the campsite.

She glanced around, then quietly waited, hidden in a hole made by a fallen tree, and the back of a shelter. nightfall slowly fell, and she watched the stars appear in the sky, the stars she knew so well.

As everyone finally congregated at the central bonfire, she went around and slashed the outsides of the shelters, nipping in and grabbing things, emptying medicine pouches, waterskins, upturning sacks and causing chaos.

She went in all of the shelters, quietly and quickly. Finally, she cautiously lit a piece of

tinder-wood and lit some more, running around the edge of the shelters, occasionally tossing one in shelter. Finally she took off into the night. All of it had been quick and quiet. She sprinted off and was a league away before anyone noticed.

anyone _else_ noticed.

He had left something in his tent. They had sat down and started to talk, so he excused himself and walked to his tent.

it it was only as he opened the flap that he saw the flame licking up the side of the shelter. He smelt the smoke and it stung his eyes. All of his possession's and his friend's were destroyed. he was so shocked that he stood there and watched it burn.

then finally he came to his senses and ran to the river. He had grabbed two water skins and filled them, madly dashing to his tent. Pouring them over, he trod on the rest, stamping it out. Then, he carefully looked among the wreckage.

It wasn't there. He almost laughed. Of course it wasn't. Of course they would take it. And then, finally, he ran back to the centre of the clan meet.

"THEY'VE DONE IT AGAIN!"

people jumped to their feet.

"where?"

"why?"

"how?"

"When?"

"Just now in our shelters! They are on fire!"

by now people were running to their shelters, attempting to save them. Most were now burning nicely. Some were left.

While most people helped put out the fire, the clan leaders stayed and discussed what had happened. No one knew what to do. Only him. he knew nothing but one thing-

He had to get his stone back.


	9. Chapter 9- So be it

**hi guys. Whassup? I would love to hear how your day has been going! Here the chapter is~**

She walks through the forest, close to the hills. She is close to the deep forest. She can feel its hum.

she senses someone approaching and crouches, glad of the disguise she wore. You could barely see her, until you saw her move. She wore a headband over her forehead, disguising the stark black outcast tattoo.

When she peered through the trees, she saw a red- deer hunter stalking through the trees. They were exceptional hunters, but her constant fear and having to hide all the time, meant that she was the best hunter in the forest. She was always prey, whereas everyone else were always hunters.

it was them who had cast her out, when she was only born a summer ago, them who had cast out her mother and father. Her vision was tinted with red. She was so angry. She had plundered, but that wasn't enough. The outcast is as dead, they say.

So be it.

silently, she pulled her bow from her back, and notched an arrow to the string. Half hidden by tree branches, now behind the hunter, she silently stood up, as silent as she always was. Pulled back the string. Aimed it at the hunter's heart.

Release.

A flock of disturbed birds fluttered from the canopy of the trees. Rain started pouring down, masking any sounds made below.


	10. Chapter 10- Horror

**I know the last one was short, but I will try to update two at a time, to save frustration. Any suggestions on future chapters?**

The Forest-Horse clan found the body. By now it was soaked, laying in a puddle of mud and bloody water. There were no death marks. The wound was not inflicted accidentally, or even by claw, fang or horn. The clans were horrified.

It had been an arrow that pierced the man in his back, right through to his once-beating heart. An arrow like no other. What made it even worse was that the arrow had been removed, and was laid upon his back. The killer had taken it out, and put it there as a sign. No making it look accidental. It was very, very on purpose.

The red-deer Mage had been grief-stricken, but attempted to get the man's souls together. She failed.

Thrice.

And the Most often asked question was-

Who would have done that. And why? And nobody remembered that faithful day, when they cast out three clan members. Nobody remembered, because nobody had cared.


	11. 11- Hatred is a very dangerous thing

_rain was drizzling down. People's hair was plastered to their forehead's. Three members of the clan took off the soon-to-be outcast's bags, outer clothes, and weapons. They were all burned. Medicine horns, sleeping sacks, food pouches._

_"The outcasts shall be as dead" they chanted._

_Most of the faces were filled with scorn. Some had blank faces, some had pursed lips. Only one showed sympathy. But there was nothing she could do. She didn't watch._

_they were laid down one by one, and the outcast tattoo was imprinted on their forehead._

_they walked to were the only remaining gear lay. One knife each, and a tiny pouch with some ochre in it._

_They only had the clothes they were wearing otherwise. As they walked to the edge of camp, people spat at them, and someone even tossed an ember from the fire at them. It was a mother, her mate and her summer-old child. Just before they reached the border, they turned around. For the last time._

_"The outcasts will have-" the leader began, but the woman interrupted him._

_"One day," she began, "you will need help. No one will be able to save you, and you will regret your choice, and turn to us." She and her mate buried everyone under their cold stare, and even the child looked angry._

_"Know this. We will not help. You are our enemy. We will fight you, and we will never help you."_

_The outcast turned on their heels and were gone, melting into the trees. Someone scoffed._

_And still no-one remembers. They looked, but they never found._

_The outcasts were patient. They would wait. But when the great fire burnt them, only their daughter was their to grieve for them. But she vowed to do more than that._

_She vowed for revenge. She hated the clans that had forgotten them, she hated the spirit walker and his mate. Was it fair that they had families and happiness? Was It fair that the only world she had was pain and fear?_

_She decided to tip the balance. She hated them. She hated them with passion. And hate, is a very dangerous thing._


	12. Chapter 12- Arrows

**READ ITS IMPORTANT!**

**Sorry I haven't updated. If anyone has any one shot requests for couples or otherwise, then please review on my new oneshot page, or pm me at my account. Thank you! :) sorry it's short.**

**(I do other book series as well)**

The hunter stalked through the trees, as silent as possible. Not silent enough. He was being followed. He wasn't aware particularly, but he had a strange feeling. The follower was the best in the forest, and so familiar to the birds and other creatures, that they gave no indication that anyone was there.

He came across the remains of a fire in a clearing. The stones were tossed aside, the ashes were scattered I a roughly oval shape. Drawn in the ash on the floor was a message.

_I know where you are_

His heart was thumping. There were no tracks. he knelt and felt the ash.

It was still warm.

He slowly turned around, knowing that compared to whoever this was, he was like a baby deer, sprawling and bleating around, Easy to kill.

An arrow thudded into the tree next him. He jumped away, but it didn't look like it was meant to hit him.

He looked at the direction the arrow came from, but it was just like the rest of the forest. Strangely, the birds were still singing.

This is crazy...

On the arrow, painted red, was a scrap of something that looked like leaves treated in a certain way, and on it was 5 words in charcoal.

_Why are you following me?_

He swallowed.

Hopefully they wouldn't kill him. Yet?...

"Why did you hurt the clans? They haven't done you any harm!"

An arrow thudded into a tree, coming from the opposite direction. How ha. They managed to get all the way round the clearing silently? No one could do that!

There was another note.

_What makes you think that?_

"Well, they wouldn't... I mean I know them! They wouldn't!"

Another arrow, this time coming from directly above. He jerked his head up, but there was no one there.

_I thought I knew them too._

_But I don't. Neither do you._

_Go now. Stop following me._

_Or I will kill you._

He grabbed the arrows after reading it, and ran back the way he had come, never stopping until he could barely breathe, and slumped down on a fallen tree, thinking about what he had read.

He had to get to the Hawk Mage. She should know. Maybe there was a tale, or something. Anything!

He hadn't noticed the dark figure who had watched him run, frowning, and then kicking the ground because of unknown thoughts.


End file.
